Joshua Uche wanted to ‘follow in his footsteps.’ Now, he might be Brandon Graham’s replacement.

Ever since college, Joshua Uche has wanted to be like Brandon Graham.

For a young pass rusher at Michigan, Graham was an obvious on-field role model. He was a first-team All-American and a first-round draft pick and had grown into a staple on the Eagles’ defensive front.

But what stood out most to Uche was how giving Graham was off the field.

“I remember being at Michigan — all the pro days, Brandon Graham would always make sure he came back to support the guys,” Uche said during Super Bowl week. “Once I got out of college, I tried to follow in his footsteps and do the same by going back my first couple years, supporting the guys, and we would connect and talk. … He’s that ‘Michigan Man’ that you look up to while you’re in college. He’s the epitome of what it means to be a Michigan Man. All the years he’s put in, the big-play moments he’s had.”

During his early NFL career in New England, the “big-brother-type connection” between Uche and Graham kept building. After playing the Eagles in 2023, Uche and Graham did a jersey swap — from “one 55 to another 55, which was pretty cool,” Uche said.

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Now, after facing Graham in Super Bowl LIX with the Chiefs, Uche once again is following in his footsteps. He’s headed to the Eagles on a one-year deal, potentially to take Graham’s place if he chooses to retire.

What has Uche picked up from Graham’s career? “Consistency and availability.”

“For years and years and years, he’s showed up and he’s become a staple of the Eagles organization,” Uche said. “Being a football player, that’s what you strive to be. You want to be the cornerstone of an organization. You want to be the face of a franchise, and do it in such a professional manner that the younger guys can look up to.”

Graham is still making a huge impact at Michigan off the field as an alumnus. He has done the same during his 15-year tenure with the Eagles — and there’s no reason to believe that will stop if he retires. In February, he appeared in his third Super Bowl, but it wasn’t always clear if he would play. Graham sustained a torn triceps in November and missed the rest of the regular season, as well as most of the playoff run.

But ahead of the big game, Uche knew Graham would make his presence known, whether he played or not.

“Definitely coaching up the younger guys,” Uche when asked how Graham was helping the Birds in the lead-up to the Super Bowl. “They’ve got a lot of young pass rushers on the team, a good amount of younger guys on the team, so I know he’s just coaching those guys up, and not even just the pass rushers, just everybody in general. Brandon is a social guy, so I know he’s keeping the team morale up, keeping the locker room up, and getting those guys going.”

Graham — who did play in the Super Bowl, where he reportedly re-tore his triceps in the Eagles’ win over Uche and the Chiefs — still hasn’t officially announced his retirement, so he could come back to play alongside Uche with the Eagles.

If he does decide to hang up the cleats, Uche is proof that Graham won’t be far from the organization.